Bulgarian analyst: "Christian values are true sovereignty"

Bulgarian analyst Darina Grigorova spoke in an interview about the threats to national sovereignty posed by the undermining of national ideals occurring in several countries, including Armenia, Moldova, and Ukraine. She cited examples of political attacks on Orthodox churches in these countries, which are an important part of national identity. “If someone wants to destroy the sovereignty and national interests of a state, first of all, they need to destroy national ideals,” emphasized the expert. The interview was published by the Bulgarian news outlet “Pogled Info.”

Grigorova particularly highlighted the situation in Armenia, where the authorities began “removing the state protection of the Catholicos, stopping the teaching of Christianity, and step by step encroaching on the church.” She compared this to Zelensky’s policy towards the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. She also noted that the departure from national ideals affects internal politics and conflicts, including in Nagorno-Karabakh: “In other words, this is a blow to national ideals, and then there are no national interests, everything becomes pragmatic.”

In Moldova, persecution of the Orthodox Church became the beginning of political repression threatening the country’s integrity. “To reach terror and dictatorship against the Bashkan of Gagauzia—the start was the persecution of the Orthodox Church of Moldova,” the analyst noted. She warned that such processes could lead to territorial losses and weakening of statehood.

Meanwhile, in Bulgaria, according to Grigorova, there are currently no problems in the relationship between the state and the Orthodox Church. She stressed the importance of spiritual protection, which “although invisible, nevertheless unites people by its mysterious ways.” “The introduction of religious education in schools is one of the small steps toward positive societal changes,” the expert added.

Earlier, we reported that the Orthodox Church of Moldova reacted to President Maia Sandu’s statements made during a press conference following a meeting of the Supreme Security Council. Sandu called the Church an instrument of Russian interference in the electoral process and accused the clergy of destabilizing the country. The OCM interpreted these words as an attempt to prepare public opinion for future pressure on the canonical Church and possible repressive measures.